War Tax Resistance in the Friends Journal in 2003

War tax resistance in the Friends Journal in
2003

It is 2003. The insane bloodlust of the United
States has led it to embark on the shameful and catastrophic Iraq War. Surely
there is no time like the present for American Quakers to recall their proud
tradition of war tax resistance and refuse to fund the madness. Let’s see if
we can find any signs of this the Friends Journal.

an ad from the December 2003 issue of
Friends Journal that can still be found in almost
the same form in issues of the Journal today

A profile of Tom and Anne Moore in the January
issue quoted Tom as saying: “We have done things not for money but just
because we thought they were important and useful. We’re war tax resisters,
for which we’ve had strong support from Quakers, as well as many of our
friends and colleagues throughout the years.”

Notes in that issue also mentioned that the Southern Appalachian Yearly
Meeting had endorsed the latest Peace Tax Fund bill, as had the Green Party.
A later issue added the endorsement of the Illinois Yearly Meeting. In each
case, as was too frequently the case, the endorsement was in lieu of
endorsing war tax resistance, not supplemental to it.

An article about the “Philadelphia Yearly Meeting women’s gathering” noted in
passing that among the “urgent concerns about our world and culture[ w]e
identified a web of violence, including payment for war through taxes.”

As the invasion of Iraq grew imminent, in the
March issue appeared the following desperate
op-ed by Kent R. Larrabee:

A social movement that could abolish war

Our Peace Testimony stands out as central to our faith. Simply stated, we
commit ourselves to not participating in the taking of human life. It seems
impossible for Quakers and other peacemakers to uphold this commitment.
Nearly 50 percent of the money we give to the government through income taxes
goes for the military: killing, destruction of homes, schools, businesses,
and other sources of income. We don’t follow what we believe. How can we
do that?

There is an answer. In the early days of Quakerism, William Penn, a prominent
Quaker whose father held a high military position, went to George Fox, the
founder of Quakerism, and explained how impossible it was for him to give up
wearing his sword. When he asked, “What shall I do?” George Fox answered,
“Wear thy sword as long as thou canst.” It is that simple. Something inside
of us may well be saying, “Pay your income tax as long as you can.” It may
not be very long if the Spirit is speaking to you and the message doesn’t go
away.

My experience has been a challenging one. I learned gradually about the power
of nonviolent direct action and love as exhibited by Jesus,
St. Francis of Assisi, Gandhi,
Martin Luther King Jr., and
A.J. Muste. In World War Ⅱ, I was taken from my job helping people in the
slums to survive and put into prison for not cooperating with the military
stand of our government. Following the war, I was drawn into social welfare
programs with the federal government and had to pay large amounts of income
tax. Gradually, it dawned on me that a large percentage of my tax money was
going into the military budget. First it was about 35 percent, but it kept
climbing to nearly 50 percent. I had worked to the top of the federal payroll
and was getring a good salary.

I finally woke up! I was blatantly contradicting all my belief in the power
of love in human relations and the power of nonviolent direct action. At the
height of my career, I knew that if I was to have faith in the power of the
teachings and the example of Jesus and other spiritual leaders, I would have
to resign from my job, give up my retirement security, and find a way to live
below the income tax level where one does not have to pay the tax. I resigned
my position in 1974. I have been living below
the tax line ever since, though tempted by good job offers.

It hasn’t been easy by some standards, and I had a lot to learn about how to
live simply, buying used clothing, doubling up in housing, and driving a
15-year-old car. The result? I felt a great relief. I was no longer,
indirectly, taking human lives. My three children went to college and
succeeded on their own. I had the freedom to be more creative and effective
in my social reform projects. No salary needed. At 84 years, I feel it is
useless to spend a lot of energy worrying about how long I am going to live.
I just want to be doing what I love and feel led to do.

We have spent trillions preparing for possible or extended wars. Many
millions have been killed by war and organized violence. Now, the very
survival of our planet is at stake. There is another way. If 15 percent of
our adult population openly took such a stand for peace and refused to pay
income tax for the military, the masses could become convinced — and our
planet could be radically changed. Let us wait in deep silence until God
speaks to us. Then we will know what is right and we will be miraculously
supported.

Peg Morton, in an article in the May issue in
which she explained her civil disobedience action against the School of the
Americas, and why she would not be paying any fine assessed against her:

I am a war tax resister, not willing voluntarily to pay a fine to a
government so deep in military slaughter and buildup. I would be quite
willing to donate the fine to a worthy, life-giving cause, such as Afghan
relief. I would be unwilling to promise not to cross the line again. I am
committed, in the best way I know how, to follow the leadings of the Spirit.

An obituary notice for Viola Evelyn Purvis in the
August issue said that “[h]er form of war tax
protest was to live so simply she would not have to pay taxes.”

An Earlham School of Religion supplement dated
Fall, 2003 that is included in the set of
PDFs I’ve been reviewing profiles Wallace
Collett as an exemplary donor to the School, and mentions that “[h]e also
served as national clerk of the American Friends Service Committee, and has
spoken widely about tax resistance as peace witness.”

Marilyn Roper penned a letter-to-the-editor about the war tax resistance of her
and her husband Harrison that appeared in the
October issue. Excerpts:

The main reason we left the Philadelphia area was to live in a less expensive
part of the world, because we were quitting our jobs (Harry was a tenured
associate professor at West Chester University, and I worked at the
University Museum of University of Pennsylvania) so as not to have to pay for
war and preparations for war. The sale of our home in Haverford (part of the
Quaker community around Haverford Meeting) and purchase of our very
inexpensive home in the small town of Houlton allowed us to put the
difference into federally tax-free municipal bonds. Over time, we have been
able to add to our holdings of municipal bonds. Although the interest is very
modest, the principal is secure as inheritance for our descendants.

For most of our years in Maine we have never had to pay a cent of income tax
to the federal government, while at the same time we were helping to finance
numerous life-enhancing state, city, and county projects such as schools,
higher education, and better sewer systems. This year we had to pay $15 to
the IRS,
but with $3 apiece going to support presidential elections, that amount was
reduced to $9. Because we did not have to write a big check to the
IRS for
April 15, we were able to contribute to Oxfam America,
UNICEF, and other groups for relief in
Iraq. In other words, we have the opponunity to carry out our own foreign and
domestic aid program in lieu of paying federal taxes. We happily pay the
state and local taxes that support our wonderful local school system and
other worthy projects. All the while, we have continued to be peace activists
and sleep better at night.

For those who are troubled by Jesus’ words, “Render to Caesar…”
(Mark 12: 13–17), please consider if you
reread this passage the fact that there were several kinds of legal tender in
Jesus’ day: Roman and Jewish coinage. Why did Jesus ask that the
Pharisees show him a coin instead of reaching into his own pocket? Perhaps
the whole point of this exercise was to find out what type of coinage the
Pharisees were using. He did find out, when they produced a coin with
Caesar’s image as God on it rather than Jewish coinage. This demonstrated to
observers that these Pharisees had already “sold out” to Caesar. So, he
stated: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,” i.e.,
the hypocritical Pharisees themselves. Perhaps that is why all were amazed as
Jesus turned the tables on them.

This year many people are feeling especially troubled about praying for
peace, and paying for war. Yet, many do not seem to be aware that in the
U.S., income from
most municipal bonds is free of federal taxes. Harry and I wrote a handout
flyer for consciousness-raising activities on April 15 about taxes and war.
Over 30 percent of federal tax money goes for war, or preparations for war.
We laud those who live under the taxable level. Municipal bonds offer another
option for those concerned about how their federal tax dollars are spent. It
is not too soon for those who have jobs to start putting any spare cash into
tax-free municipal bonds so that down the road they will be able to support
life-enhancing rather than life-destroying activities financially. It is very
legal.

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